[Report 1942] / Medical Officer of Health, Neath Borough.

  • Neath (Wales). Borough Council.
Date:
1942
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1942] / Medical Officer of Health, Neath Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Proceedings were also taken by the Glamorgan County Police against a dairyman for harbouring a cow on his premises and failing to notify its apparent diseased condition to the Police and/or a Veterinary Inspector. The case was heard at the Port Talbot County Police Court, at which I gave evidence for the Police, the defendant being fined £15-0-0 plus £5-0-0 costs. The circumstances of the case were that the cow, a reject from the Mart was brought in for slaughter. The carcase was emaciated, extensively affected with generalised tuberculosis, with advanced udder infection. As 1 Considered a serious view should be taken of the case, the Medical Officer of Health, the Superintendent of the County Police, and the State Veterinary Surgeon were asked to see the carcase and offal. In my opinion, the fact that the animal had been in possession of the owner, on his own admission for about four years, and having regard to the emaciated and diseased condition generally, it should have been obvious to any person with experience in the care of animals, the necessity of reporting same. It was necessary to draw the attention of the Food Executive Officer to the poor condition, due primarily to disease, of several animals received from various collecting centres. The matter was taken up with the Divisional Food Officer, who in turn got in touch with the authorities concerned, but the results of such action did not seem to carry us much further. MEAT REGULATIONS,1924. It was necessary to call the attention of several tradesmen to the unsatisfactory condition of their premises, whilst it has to be conceded that a,difficulty is experienced in effectively lighting and ventilating same, no reasonable excuse can be made as to lack of cleanliness, especially with regard to the state of refrigerators used in connection with the business. Having regard to the limited hours that butchers’ shops are open, no difficulty should arise in maintaining all such premises in a satisfactory and hygienic condition. A further cause of complaint was the failure of distributors to constantly wear overalls and headgear, and to keep meat properly covered, during removal from the slaughterhouse to the shops. This matter was taken up seriously with the haulage contract- ors. -15-